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(No Model.), 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

' W. F. PRENDERGAST.

STATION INDICATOR.

Patented May '7, 1895.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. F. PRENDERGAST. v STATION INDICATOR. No. 538,932,; Patented May '7",1895.

ATTORNEYS.

Urrnn STATES [PATENT Furs.

WILLIAM F. PRENDERGAST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 538,932, dated May 7,1895.

Application filed January 18, 1895. Serial 110535354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. PRENDER- GAST, of New York city, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedStation-Indicator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stationindicator, which is comparatively simple and durable in construction,arranged for attachment in the middle of a car, to display the name ofthe same station on opposite sides or faces so that the name of thestation is conveniently visible in all parts of the car.

The invention consists principally of two movable aprons adapted todisplay the name of the same station at opposite faces of the casing,and means, substantially as described, for imparting a simultaneousforward or return movement to both aprons.

The invention also consists in certain parts and details, andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of 'the same on the line 3 3ofFig. 5. Fig. 4 is a like view of the same on the line 44: of Fig. 5.Fig. 5 is a sectional face view of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3,and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the shaft for the reversing mechanism.

The improved station indicator is provided with a suitably constructedcasing A, adapted to be fastened in the middle of a car, and provided onopposite sides with the ground glasses A and A each having part of ittransparent to permit of reading the name of the station printed orotherwise formed on aprons B and B adapted to move in the casing on theinside of the ground glasses A and A Each of the latter is also providedabove the clear space with a legend such as Next Stop, Next Station, orthe like, this legend appearing above the name of the station asdisplayed through the clear space from the corresponding apron B or B.

The names of the stations of the route are printed on both aprons B andB, and the latter are so arranged that the name of the same stationappears through the clear spaces of both ground glasses, and when theaprons are shifted, they are shifted simultaneously in a forwarddirection while traveling on the route, and when returning thereon theaprons receive a return movement so as to again dis play the names ofthe stations simultaneously but in a reverse direction.

The apron B passes vertically in the rear of the glass A and travelsover the rollers G and .0 arranged in the casing and supported in theends thereof, the lower end of the apron 13 extending under the roller 0and then upward over a roller 0 to wind on a drum D journaled in theends of the casing. The upper end of the apron B, after passing over theroller 0, extends upward and winds on a drum E, likewise journaled. inthe ends of the casing. The other apron B is similarly ar ranged andpasses over the roller 0 under the roller 0 and over a roller 0 to thenwind on the drum D located directly below the drum D, and the upper endof the said apron B passes from the roller 0 to a drum E arranged underthe drum E, andlikewise journaled in the ends of the casing. The drums Eand E are geared together by the gear wheels E and E so as to movesimultaneously when one of the gear wheels is turned, and the drums D Dare likewise geared together by the gear wheels D and D Now in order tocause the aprons B and B to move simultaneously for the purposepreviously described, I provide a large gear wheel F, adapted to bemoved in mesh with either the gear wheel E or the gear wheel D This gearwheel F is secured on a shaft F mounted to turn in slides G and Grespectively, fitted to slide vertically in bearings H secured to theinside ends of the casing A, as plainly illustrated in the drawings.Each of the slides G. and G is provided with a recess G adapted to beengaged by a lug I projecting radially from a shaft I, mounted to turnin suitable bearings in the ends of the casing A, one end of the saidshaft 1 extending to the outside of the casing, to carry at its outerend a crank arm J under the control of the operator. Now it will be seenthat the operator by turning the crank arm J, turns the shaft I, tocause the lugsI to move the slides G and G either simultaneouslyupwardor downward to move the gear wheel F either in engagement with the gearwheel E or with the gear wheel D In order to lock the slides G and G ineither a lowermost or an uppermost position, I provide a spring pressedpawl K, adapted to engage with its free end one of two notches G G ineach slide G or G. Each pawl K is also provided with a projection K,adapted to be engaged by the lug I, so that when the shaft 1 is turned,the lug Iin moving against the lug K first moves the pawl K out ofengagement with the respective notch G or G to then permit the lug I toraise or lower the slide as the case may be. When the pawls K engage thelower notches G, then the slides G and G are in an uppermost positionand the gear wheel F is in mesh with the gear wheel E Now when theoperator turns the crank arm J, then the pawls K are simultaneouslydisengaged from the notches G, and the slides G and G are moved downwardto bring the gear wheel F in mesh with the gear wheel D to permit thepawls K to engage the upper notches G in the slides G, G.

The gear wheel F is always turned in the direction of the arrow or, fromeither end of the car, and for this purpose I extend one end of theshaft F through a vertical slot in one of the ends of the casing, seeFig. 5, and on the outer end of this shaft I secure a bevel gear wheel Fin mesh with a pinion L secured on a longitudinally extending shaft L,journaled in brackets A and in the ends of the car, as indicated in Fig2. The shaft L is provided on each end, that is, on each platform of thecar, with a crank arm N, under the control of the operator, so that whenthe crank arm N is turned, the shaft L is rotated, and the pinion Lrotates the gear wheel F so that a rotary motion is given to the shaft Fand the gear wheel F in the direction of the arrow a. When the gearwheel F is in mesh with the gear wheel E then the latter and the gearwheel E are rotated in the direction of the arrows b and 0 respectively,whereby the aprons B and B are caused to move simultaneously upward, towind on the drums E and E, and to unwind from the drums D and Drespectively. When the gear wheel F is lowered and in mesh with the gearwheel D then the gear wheels D and D are simultaneously rotated to causethe aprons B and B to move downward to wind up on the drums D and D, andto unwind from the drums E and E respectively. Thus the aprons are movedsimultaneously in a downward direction while the car is moving from oneend of the route to the other, and previous to the car returning theoperator moves the crank arm J to change the position of the gear wheelF, as above described, so that on the further turning of the crank arm Nat each station, the aprons B and B are caused to move downward todisplay the names of the stations in a reverse order.

In order to properly guide the aprons, I secure in the casing A theapron guides O, 0 respectively, arranged between the rollers C C and C Crespectively. In order to hold the aprons at all times under tension Iprovide a brake device for each d rum, to prevent slack in the aprons.

As shown in Fig. 5, the drums E and E are pressed on the outer faces oftheir flanges E", E respectively, by brake shoes P, P, held on springarms P P respectively, secured to.

the ends of the casing A. The free ends of the spring arms are engagedby the inner end of a screw Q, screwing in the end of the easing andextending to the outside thereof, so that the operator can turn thescrew to press the spring arms more or less to move, the brake shoes Pand P with more or less force in contact with the flanges E E Similarbrake mechanisms are arranged on the flanges of the drums D and D, sothat further description of the same is not deemed necessary.

It will be seen that this device is comparatively simple and durable inconstruction, not liable to get out of order, and as it is arranged inthe middle of a car the names of the stations are easily visible in allparts of the car.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A station indicator, comprising two sets of drums,each set being geared together, two aprons secured to and winding on thesaid drums, and intermediate mechanism between the two sets of drums foralternately operating them, substantially as described.

2. A station indicator, comprising a casing, two sets of drums mountedin the upper and lower part of the casing, each set of drums beinggeared together, an apron secured to a drum of each set, operatingmechanism intermediate of the sets of drums, and means for throwing theoperating mechanism in gear with either set of drums, substantially asdescribed.

3. A station indicator, comprising a casing, aprons held to movein thesaid casing, an upper and a lower set of drums on which wind the ends ofthe said aprons, gear wheels for connecting the upper and lower drums ofeach set with each other, and a gear wheel adapted to be moved in meshwith one of the gear wheels of the upper set of drums or with one of thegear wheels of the lower set of drums, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. A station indicator, comprising a casing, aprons held to move in thesaid casing, an upper and a lower setof drums on which wind the ends ofthe said aprons, gear wheels for connecting the upper and lower drums ofeach set with each other, a gear wheel adapted to be moved in mesh withone of the gear wheels of the upper set of drums or with one l'CO assessof the gear wheels of the lower set of drums, and means, substantiallyas described, for rotating the said last named gear wheel in the samedirection from either end of the car, as set forth. 7

5. A station indicator, comprising a casing, aprons held to move in thesaid casing,an upper and a lower set ofdrums on which wind the ends ofthe said aprons, gear wheels for connecting the upper and lower drums ofeach set with each other, a gear wheel adapted to be moved in mesh withone of the gear wheels of the upper set of drums or with one ofthe gearwheels of the lower set of drums, and means, substantially asdescribed,for imparting vertical movement to the said last named gearwheel, to move the latter in mesh with either set of gear wheels, as setforth.

6. A station indicator, comprising a casing,

aprons held to move in the said casing, an upper and a lower set'ofdrums on which wind the ends of the said aprons, gear Wheels forconnecting the upper and lower drums of each set with each other, a gearwheel adapted to be moved in mesh with one of the gear wheels of theupper set of drums or with one of the gear wheels of the lower set ofdrums, slides fitted to slide in the casing and carrying the shaft ofthe last named gear wheel, a shaft having lugs adapted to engage notchesin the said slides, means for turning the said last named shaft, anddevices adapted to engage notches in the said slides and controlled fromthe said lugs, substantially as described.

WILLIAM F. PRENDERGAST. Witnesses:

THEO. G. HUSTER, J NO. M. BITTER.

